Crossing the Line
by GIR's Infernal Waffles
Summary: He knew that he wanted, at one time, to see it dissected. So why did it bother him so much to see that playing out before his eyes? Why does his triumph seem so ill-gotten? Wasn't that always their... game, winner take all? ZaDr
1. Notions

**(A/N) Welcome dear readers! Thank you for clicking on Crossing the Line! I'm GIR's Infernal Waffles, happy to be your storyteller for the day. **

**THIS IS A ZADR FIC! If you don't like it, please don't read it! There's plenty of other awesome stuff out there! **

**While this is ZaDr fic, it is not AU or OOC. It takes place… well, I guess sometime after 10 Minutes to Doom, since that episode does come up in a later chapter.**

**This first chapter is a bit silly-after this stuff gets real. Legit. **

**I do not own IZ. However, I do hope all you foolish earth-monkeys enjoy this fic. **

The day didn't start all that unusually- not for them, anyways.

"The world will never be yours, _Zim!_" the small boy screamed, his heckling serving as the Irken's unwelcome alarm clock. His pounding on the bathroom-like door roused the little alien who, scowling with annoyance, only bothered to pull his disguise on halfway before opening the door.

"What is it, Dib-stink," he asked crossly, "that Zim must be woken at such an unseemly hour, hmm?"

"Just stopping by to remind you that your plans won't work, Zim," the other replied smartly.

"Oh, oh yes, I'm terrified," the Irken said, beginning to close the door. But Dib had other ideas, shoving his way inside and squaring his shoulders.

"Today will be your _last _day on earth!" he announced, hands on his hips.

Zim stuck out his segmented tongue, pointedly ignoring the human to call, "GIR! Where is my breakfast! Even I cannot conquer this stinking mud-hole without breakfast!"

But Dib just wouldn't leave, pacing around the base and snapping pictures, taunting Zim as he did. And eventually, the little alien couldn't take it. Somewhere between "You won't succeed!" and "I'll expose you!" he snapped, flinging himself at the unwelcome Dib-thing and sending them both rolling head-over-heals across the floor.

"Ouch! Zim- ow!" the human wailed, more often than not finding himself under the small alien. They both got to their feet, Zim slamming Dib against the wall and then visa-versa, the alien coming away with a clump of hair and the human coming away with a whole head of it, leaving said alien disguise-less (though, predictably, the camera had been crushed by this time). At last Zim succeed in shoving his uninvited houseguest out the door and stumbling across the lawn.

"Get… _out_!" Zim cried in that classic Zim voice, drawing out the last word unnaturally. "Out-out-_ouuut!" _ Slamming the door, he let himself lean against it, exhausted before the day had even begun in earnest. With dragging feet he walked to the couch, flopping down beside the small green dog.

"I _luv_ this show!" GIR said proudly, pointing to the TV and wagging his tail. Zim, too tired to object, turned his gaze to the flashing screen.

"_I hate you!"_ a busty, blonde human woman was screaming.

"_Not as much as I hate you!" _ a broad-chested man yelled back.

"_Get out of my life!" _the woman snapped, slapping the man.

The man surged forward, grabbing her hair and thrusting her against the wall. With a shriek she began to claw at him, but eventually the man had wrestled her to the ground.

"_I hate you," _he growled, then mashed his lips against hers; the watching Irken stiffened in surprise.

"_Oh god, I just hate you so much…" _the woman moaned, pulling at her lover's clothes. _"I wish you would _die_…" _

"Just like Master and Dib-human!" GIR chirped excitedly, pointing to the screen and smiling with his eyes, tongue hanging out. "Will Master and Dib-human kissy-kiss and make up, too?"

The poor, well-meaning little robot's screams could be heard for well over a mile, as could his sobs when Zim took his cupcakes away.

…

So, breakfast-less and annoyed, Zim was off to Skool. When Mrs. Bitters slithered into the room, the day only got progressively worse for the poor alien- the lesson passed in a somewhat painful haze of boredom, and when at last the bell rang his head slipped from where it rested on his hand and smacked into the desk, face smushed even flatter than normal. He couldn't get out the door fast enough, mind completely focused on going home, getting a nice, Irken sandwich, and plotting world domination.

But it was not to be.

"Oh _Ziiiim…_"

Groaning, the Irken turned. "I do not have the patience for you, Dib-worm," he said authoritatively- although the intimidating front he tried to put up was somewhat inhibited by the growling of his empty stomach-equivalent.

Dib, sensing weakness, grinned evilly. "Come on, _buddy_," he said, expression only describable as satanic as he took the alien's arm. "Let's go get some ice cream. Whatda'ya think?"

Zim glowered at the human who _dared _to touch ZIM! in such a way. "I will not submit to this iced cream torture that you suggest!"

Dib laughed, although the sound was not at all friendly. "Silly otherworlder," he said chidingly. "Ice cream is a very popular human treat. I think you'll like it."

Zim narrowed his eyes, sure that he was being led into a trap. But he had to admit that he was curious about this human "treat" which, now that he thought about it, he remembered many children whispering about with dreamy eyes. So he gave in as he was half-dragged down the street by his new "buddy."

Dib's motive was simple: recon. He knew that Zim's system was weak to certain earth substances, and also of his hatred of earth foods. So he was curious- and would use every opportunity to learn about the alien who had made the unfortunate mistake of landing on his doorstep. Zim was aware of this- suspicious of such intentions. But he allowed himself to be dragged to the ice cream shop and pulled up to the counter.

"I'll pay for your ice cream, _buddy_," Dib purred sadistically, pulling out his wallet. Zim twitched.

"You have no power of _me_, pig-smelly human!" he proclaimed. "This invader pays for his own 'iced cream!' in fact, I shall pay for yours, as well!" The Irken sneered. _Who's in control now, worm? _

Dib signed, secretly pleased at how easy his enemy was to manipulate. "Oh, very well."

Zim blinked rapidly, then peered at the other cautiously. "Agreeable today, Dib-worm?" Without taking his eyes off Dib, he paid the cashier and retrieved two top-heavy ice cream cones, which he had to admit looked better than the average earth food.

Smiling- almost passing the expression off as friendly –Dib took one and led his "buddy" over to a table, where they sat opposite each other. Zim, uncomfortable but unwilling to show it, raised his chin pointedly and took a lick of the ice cream. It was admittedly better than he had thought it would be, and in short order he was lapping at it docilely, all but forgetting about the human sitting across from him.

That human was quite amused by the spectacle, leaning in forward with his elbows on the table and his head in his hands, all but forgetting about his own ice cream. He always liked to watch Zim, no matter what the alien was doing; this was no exception. He could barely suppress his glee as he watched the Irken's tension melt as fast as the sugary confection in his hand.

"What are you staring at, human?" Zim growled, eyes narrowed as he glared across the table. "You dare to inspect Zim with such a critical eye?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Dib replied innocently. "Want mine?"

The alien's glare intensified. "I do not want to you give me your iced-cream, foolish Dib-thing." It was no sooner than Dib had retracted his hand, however, that Zim's shot out, snatching the cone away from his companion. "I want to _steal _your iced cream! Haha! Victory for Zim!"

Irritated, Dib was just about to reclaim his desert when he noticed something odd about the alien. Zim's gaze kept unfocusing, despite his apparent efforts. Then, with little other warning, the little alien yawned hugely and swooned, face-planting on a table for the second time that day.

Asleep.

"Ice cream puts him to sleep…" Dib whispered, and then crowed it excitedly, hopping up onto the tabletop. "Ice cream puts him to sleep! The earth is _saaaaved!" _

Ignoring the odd stares, Dib collected his alien and slung the small green body over his shoulder. Whistling, he dashed out the door, leaving the ice cream parlor in a rather stunned silence.

…

_Where am I going? _

Dib got approximately half a block before the question hit him, stopping him in his tracks. He was suddenly and vividly aware of the weight on his shoulder, the glow of warmth that it leaked. He hadn't expected the alien to feel so familiar… so human.

_Zim… _

Shaking his head sharply, Dib tried to order his thoughts; unable to, he ducked into an alleyway to avoid the unwanted attention of passersby. Only then did he slump to the ground, Zim's limp body settling in his lap as it were the most natural thing in the world. Gazing down, Dib felt confusion wash through him with surprising force.

On the one hand, he saw his hated enemy- he saw the Irken invader sent to take over the earth, the one he had fought tooth and nail to hold back, the one who had dragged him through all brands of hell. He saw in incarnation of distain, a haughty, self-centered creature who would like to enslave the human race and kill those who would stop him- Dib included.

But on the other hand, he saw a creature entirely new to him- or perhaps not new, just ignored. He saw Zim- a lost creature with no home and a story heart-achingly similar to his own, filled with rejection and disappointment. Dib, of course, had no way of knowing about the Tallests' cruelty or Irk; he had no way of knowing just how devoid of affection and respect and anything of the sort Zim's life had been. But he saw clues etched in the sleeping alien's face- scars that mirrored his own.

_I've… caught Zim… _he acknowledged softly. _I… can do anything with him. I could turn him in… I could have him dissected. _A flare of excitement burst up in him as the notion appeared in his mind. But it was squelched quickly, by nothing more than the sensation of Zim's chest expanding and contracting. _He's… alive now. I could make sure… he… isn't. _

_It's not like they would kill him, _he reminded himself, forcing a smile. _Just… just torture him. Yeah. They'd experiment on him. Maybe do a vivisection. _

… _Which would kill him. _

Sighing heavily, Dib stood, holding the small green body bridal style this time. First was getting back to his house; he could figure the rest out once there. So he trotted quickly down the street, his attention disproportionally focused on the little alien's steady, deep breath.

Once at his own doorstep, the human was left fumbling with the doorknob, unable to get it open with the alien in his arms. Frustrated, he called through the wood, "Gaz! Gaz, get the door for me! My hands are full!"

"No!" came the reply. "Just put down the stuff you're holding, idiot!"

Dib blinked, surprised it hadn't occurred to him. But as he looked down at the muddy, chilled ground, something inside him squirmed.

"I can't!" _I don't want… my subject to be contaminated. Yeah, that's it. _Receiving no reply, he muttered, "Listen to her, Zim. Just leaves us stranded, huh? She'll pay…"

Through a series of creative contortions, Dib got the alien slung half-way over his shoulder, cradled one-handed. Staggering into the house, he let the body slide back into the far more natural position of a careful, two-handed grip. Stalking past Gaz with the exclamation, "My triumph is assured!" he proceeded up to his bedroom.

Once there, logic kicked in. Laying the Irken deliberately- gently but not tenderly –on his bed, Dib produced the infamous alien sleepcuffs (pair number two, recently received through mail order); it was with deft movements that he attached the small alien to his bedframe. Then he stood back, observing his work in a satisfied way, grinning with triumph as his glasses glinted.

"Oh Zim…" he sighed. "At last… you shall see that _this _human is not one to trifle with!" Then he was on the phone, dialing frantically.

His haste, however, was unnecessary; the elevator music was infuriating as he waited for the phone to be answered, prayed for the person on the other end to take him seriously. Glancing at the alien on his bed, he suddenly felt his eagerness drain away, attention immediately taken in by the creature so bent on world domination, yet so peaceful in sleep. His expression was relaxed, mouth slightly open, and, just for an instant, Dib could hear his breath.

The gruff voice on the other end of the line made him jump, heart leaping into his throat. Spinning so that his back faced his bed, Dib cleared his throat.

"Y-yes… yes. I'd like to… yes. I have an alien tied to my bed. I'd like you to come and pick him up."

**(A/N) I hope you (all?) liked! I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to the next chapter. :3**

**If you review, I'll not only love you momentarily, but I'll send you the title of the next chapter. Seriously, though, reviews mean the world to me, especially since this is my first shot at the fandom. Please tell me how I did!**

**ALSO I AM SEEKING A BETA! No prior experience required; mostly for proofreading and minor editing. If you're interested, please PM me! **


	2. Dreams and Reality

**(A/N) Chapter two! *throws confetti* FYI, there will be four chapters to this fic, plus an epilogue. :)**

******... Stuff gets _real _in this chapter, yo.**  


**Thanks go out to PastaLuv, leddybug, xXFemkeXx, and an unnamed but very appreciated guest for reviewing! *presents with plates of waffles* I made 'em mah self!  
**

**I do not own IZ. Sorry for ruining the hopes and dreams of any who thought I did.  
**

_Why… am I thinking like this…? _

Dib lay on his bed, lighter in hand held at arm's length as he flicked it on, watched the flame splutter… and then extinguished it. His life had been rather monotonous since Zim had been collected, and he couldn't help remembering the little alien's words.

_"My mission might not be as exciting without you around to annoy me…"_

"Yeah…" he muttered, staring at the flickering flame and his ceiling beyond, "I don't _have _a mission without _you_ around to annoy _me_…"

The ringing of the phone made him jump, lighter falling from his hands and flame dying abruptly. Rising slowly, all urgency was gone from him as he picked up the receiver and leaned over, bent over his desk.

"Yes? Hello?"

"I'd like to speak to Dib."

One eyebrow shooting up, Dib replied, "That's me."

"Oh, good!" There was a smile in the caller's voice. "I'm calling about that alien you handed over to us about two months back!"

Instantly the boy was at attention, clutching the edge of his desk, eyes wide with excitement. "Really? What about it?"

"Well, we'd like you- as the discoverer –to come down and take a look at our progress," the man said. "I'm the head scientist working on the project, and I don't think it's right that you should be kept out, even if you are a child. You're obviously an intelligent boy who knows exactly what he's talking about."

A grin spread across Dib's face, and suddenly he was hopping slightly. "Yes! I mean, I'd love to! Ha! When? Where?"

"Well, when would you be available?"

"A-any time!" the boy said excitedly. "I-I mean… as soon as tomorrow!"

"Alright," the scientist said, that smile back in his voice. "Tomorrow at around noon? The address is…"

"Great! I'll be there!"

… … …

Dib could hardly sleep that night, predictably. He spent an hour or two just staring at the ceiling, clutching his blankets with a silly grin painted across his face, but eventually his eyes drifted shut. When they did, however, he found himself still caught in the same flurry of excitement that ruled his waking world.

_"Right this way," a man in a white coat said, and Dib padded after him eagerly. "Oh, and here's your own security pass; you're welcome to come here any time." _

_He accepted the badge, pinning it proudly to his chest before following the scientist into a sterile hallway. Then he was ushered into a warm room, and found himself face to face with his sworn enemy. _

_"Dib," the Irken greeted him, eyes narrowed. He was strapped into a chair, a collar around his neck and shackles on his hands and feet. There was a myriad of sensors connected to his head, and a bundle of tubes and the such scattered across his torso and stomach. A label on the glass wall separating them proclaimed: _SUBJECT ZIM.

_"Hello, Zim," Dib said. "I trust you're comfortable?" _

_"Foolish earth-stink," Zim spat. "I am only in here because it suits me. I felt like… taking a break from world conquest." A shock ran suddenly through him and he yelped, causing Dib to snort with suppressed laughter. _

_"If that's what you tell yourself," the human said with a smile, shrugging. _

And Dib woke with that same smile on his face.

… … …

After a hasty breakfast, Dib found himself standing outside of an impressive, concrete building near the center of town, not all that far from his father's lab. This lab was familiar in every way- in scent, in sound, in total sterility. Their footsteps echoed in the earilly white hallway as Dib gazed around, feeling his hair stand on end for some unknown reason.

"It really is astounding, boy," his guide, the scientist he had spoken to, was saying. "A live alien- we'll be naming the charts after you, you understand?"

Dib forgot about his unease for a moment in a rush of excitement. "I knew it!" he crowed softly. "Oh, I've dreamed of this...! Humanity will know, they'll all know!"

His guide chuckled, then stopped in front of a door marked "Top Secret: Level 6 Security Clearance Only." As Dib stared up in astonishment at the sign, his guide handed him something: a name badge.

"You're welcome here any time," the scientist said warmly. "As the discoverer of this creature, you are more entitled to unrestricted access then anyone."

The boy was nearly bubbling over with glee, his eyes filled with victory. _Take that, Zim!_ he crowed in his mind. _I've done it! I've saved humanity! Oh, I can't wait to see the look on your face...!_

That was the thought in his mind as the guard opened the door with a quick swipe of a similar badge. The door slid open, and the first thing Dib was aware of was the chill that rushed in around him, making him shiver involuntarily. But he didn't pay that much heed, strolling into the room and gazing around, searching for his mortal enemy with a haughty grin at the ready.

But then all his arrogance evaporated; his smile withered.

For he spotted Zim. And it was with half-numb legs that he walked forward until a glass wall physically stopped him. And there, behind that glass, lay Zim.

_SUBJECT 001, _proclaimed the label.

The Irken was shivering, curled naked upon the hard metal table. His green skin- far paler, it seemed to Dib, then it had been, although there was an odd patchwork of dark green present as well -was stretched taught over his unfamiliar skeletal system, bones threatening to tear through what meager flesh clung to them. Dib's gaze lingered on the countless tubes and wires hooked up to the limp form- one plunging into his belly, two attached to his chest, three on his head, one at his throat and many more, twining around his limbs and snaking into unmentionable places. The alien's eyes were closed, sunken slightly in their sockets, and his mouth was open as he panted for breath, narrow chest rising and falling rapidly; unsteadily.

"Splendid, isn't it?" the scientist asked with a content sigh, and Dib rounded on him.

"What is this?" he demanded. "That's a sentient being! What are you doing?"

The scientist shook his head. "Sentient, perhaps, but inferior. This is the only appropriate way to proceed."

_Zim isn't inferior!_ Dib almost screamed, but bit his tongue just in time. As it was, he ended up saying, "Regardless, it's starving! You'll kill it at this rate!"

Again the guide shook his head. "It's being fed through a tube."

"Fed what?" the boy snapped. "The standard _human_ regimen? That isn't sufficient! Even if starvation doesn't kill him, he'll freeze to death at this rate!"

The guide raised an eyebrow. "'Him?'"

Realizing his mistake, Dib cursed himself. "It! The subject! There's nothing to be learned from a dead subject!"

A hitch in Zim's breathing made Dib whirl- what greeted him were twin slivers of crimson, glaring weakly at him from the confines of that horrible table. Hatred; resentment; agony... they all washed through the human with surprising force, sweeping him up and out of his body in a colorful, painful wave.

"Oh!" The scientist patted him on the shoulder, seeming to forget about their conversation. "You'll like this: it has so many weaknesses, and they're all so common. Watch!"

"I already-" Dib began to say, but was cut off by a sickening sound. The spray of water splattered across Zim's body and those ruby eyes closed tightly, his face contorting in a silent scream as his skin fizzled. That was when Dib put two and two together- the darker green splotches he had noticed earlier were scar tissue.

Scars.

Swallowing nervously, the boy glanced up at his guide, who grinned in reply. The man was obviously enjoying the writhing alien's pain, as Dib knew he should have. And he _did _want Zim to suffer, but... there was something deeply wrong that made his stomach twist.

As the water stopped, Zim went limp once again, panting and trembling all the harder; his eyes found Dib again, and the small human gulped.

"You... crossed... a... line..." The little alien mouthed the words, then spat in the humans' general direction. The scientist whistled.

"Impressive!" he exclaimed. "We haven't gotten that good a response out of it for weeks!"

Dib was beyond being shocked. "Weeks...? Elaborate."

"Well, it's been almost three weeks since its responded to anything but pain stimuli; sometimes it'll open it's eyes, but otherwise it only responds to pain."

The boy felt his heart twist, a thousand and one images of a vibrant, active Zim flashing across his mind, memories of the alien's shrieking and gloating ringing in his ears. He felt the Irken boy's weight as they tumbled, clawing wildly in an attempt to hurt one another, felt his hair pulled and heard Zim's triumphant shout.

It all contradicted so violently with the tiny, still shape on the bench that Dib was physically sickened, his gut clenching. Suddenly he regretted eating, feeling a burning mixture of food and stomach acid work it's way into his throat; he swallowed the vomit with an effort, wincing at how the acid scalded his already tear-sore throat.

"Let me show you another thing," the scientist urged unknowingly, taking Dib by the shoulder and leading him to a computer screen situated in front of the glass chamber. He pointed to the images and the boy was nearly sick again.

"We've attached sensors to it's midsection," the scientist explained, though Dib already knew exactly what he he was looking at. "See this graph? It's body is metabolizing itself, just like an earth creature's body would, except it's deterioration is on a whole other level! Look at the change in BMI over just these short weeks. It gives us a fabulous opportunity to study its skeletal system as the bones become more pronounced."

"... What about the muscular system?" Dib asked weakly, the only objection he could muster. The scientist shrugged. The ache in Dib's throat intensified as he spotted a heart monitor- amid all the alien anatomy, the pulsing organ was eerily familiar, pumping blood through deteriorating veins in an effort to keep it's owner alive. It had a hiccup to its rhythm- like it had cracked but was still trying to function.

"We were thinking of doing biopsies on its organs tomorrow," the excited tour guide said. "Would you like to come back and watch?"

For a moment, Dib was certain that he _couldn't_. He was certain that he would die if he spent another second staring into Zim's empty eyes, which he seemed unable to stop. _This... is what I dreamed of...! I shouldn't... be...! _

"I'll be here." _I'll be here... for Zim._

_To... watch him suffer...?_

... ... ...

Staring down at the food on his plate, the small human couldn't being himself to eat a bite. All he saw, over and over again, was Zim's skeletal body; all he heard were the scientist's cold words.

_"It's body is metabolizing itself, just like an earth creature's would."_

_Just like mine will tonight,_ Dib thought sourly, pushing the plate away.

... ... ...

Dib almost couldn't bring himself to return to the lab the next day; facing Zim was not something he relished. He knew he should be excited, and so forced a bright smile as he pulled on his clothes and slipped out the door into the chilly drizzle.

The clouds mirrored his mood as he slunk into the lab, head down as he swiped his own security pass to enter. The scientist had yet to arrive; Dib entered the chilled room alone, his attention instantly captured by the pathetic green bundle of bones, shivering unceasingly with cold. Walking stiffly over, he placed his hands against the glass.

"Zim..." he whispered to the sleeping alien, "what line did I cross...? Wasn't this... our game...? You try to kill me, I try to catch you, winner take all...? So why is this so... wrong...?"

The door slid open with a hiss and Dib jumped back, turning to see the scientist grinning at him.

"Early, boy?" he asked. "I don't blame you. This'll be exciting."

Dib nodded, swallowing around the lump in his throat and forcing a smile. The scientist, fooled by this display, turned to his computer.

"We'll be biopsying several of its foreign organs and tissues," the scientist explained, pulling on a pair of tight, latex gloves and passing two to Dib. Then he picked up a tray of rather frightening tools, running his hands deftly along a seem in the glass wall to open it. Then he motioned Dib inside, and the boy found himself standing not a foot from where Zim lay.

Close up, Dib could clearly see the signs of torture etched in the alien's skin- blue blood oozed from half-closed sutures and around various tubes and needles imbedded in his bruised skin. His scaly tongue hung slight from his mouth, thin lips cracked and bleeding. His frail fingers grasped weakly at the table, although there was nothing on the smooth metal to cling to.

"Take a step back, boy," the scientist advised, but Dib shook his head.

"I'd like to be close."

The scientist shrugged, pulling out a glinting scalpel. Dib winced at the sight of it, momentarily distracted from Zim's face by the blade slipping neatly into the concave green abdomen.

The Irken convulsed suddenly, a rough cry dragged from him that made Dib shriek with surprise, jumping back. The subject writhed against the restraints that held him as thick blue blood flowed from the wound, and the human saw pain and fear in those scarlet eyes, fixed unseeing on some point in the distance.

"The anesthetic isn't working!" he shouted at the scientist, struggling to be heard over the alien's thrashing and cries. The scientist glanced over questioningly.

"We didn't use any anesthetic; why would we?"

Dib felt his stomach, despite it's emptiness, convulse. In that instant he was forced to flee from the room, barely making it to the sink in time to vomit raw stomach acid.

Zim's screams were still echoing in his ears as he raced down the hall, pelting out into the rain with little heed for anything at all- skidding in the mud, he stumbled and fell, jarring his whole body and soaking himself to the skin. Shivering violently, he dragged himself to the bushes, huddling there beneath the dripping leaves.

"Why?!" he wailed up at the sky, his voice camouflaged by the howling wind. "Why is this so wrong?! Why do I feel like this?!"

Receiving no reply, he clawed momentarily at the muddy ground, fighting not to see the answer that his own mind had already given him. Tears streamed down his face faster than they ever had before, and all the while Zim's screaming wreathed around him, mingled in some sick symphony with the Irken's laughter; he gloating; his smile.

"I crossed a line," Dib whispered, clutching his shoulders with muddied hands. "I crossed a line, Zim... when I gave you to _them_."

And that was the answer. Had it been him performing those biopsies, he would have delighted in them; if it was him in control, Zim wouldn't harbor such hatred, nor would Dib be plagued by guilt. For it should have been _them_, just the two of them together...

For that was the agreement between enemies... between rivals.

**(A/N) :'( It hurt to write this. **

**And that's all I've got to say. **

**Please review! Reviewers are loved _and _(as if that weren't enough) get the know where the majority of the next chapter takes place. ;)**


	3. Sleep

**(A/N) This is a very important chapter. I really hope you guys'll like it. :3 **

**Thanks to Lileipad, leddybug, PastaLuv, xXFemkeXx, and BizarroVeR for reviewing! GIR! Reward the children! (GIR: SAAALTED NUTS!) And a special shout out to Lileipad; your wish has been granted in this chapter. *bows* Although let me tell you, he is the absolutely hardest IZ character for me to keep in-character. P: **

**I do not own Invader Zim. I do, however, own a Zim wristband which I wear (with pride!) every day. **

Dib wasn't sure what made him go back to the lab after night had fallen; he didn't even remember making his way there, only found himself standing before the cold glass wall.

"'… 001…'" the human read aloud, letting his fingers trail along the label stuck to the glass. "'SUBJECT 001…'"

Zim was hardly visible in the darkness, a hunched bundle of bones shivering on his metal bed. The sound of the heart monitor echoed around the deserted lab, the alien's rapid, irregular breath harmonizing with the quasi-steady beeping.

Moving quickly, the boy pulled a marker from his pocket. Silently he drew a thick line through the cold, inflexible number 001, scrawling instead "ZIM" in messy capital letters.

"Subject… Zim…" he whispered. "Subject Zim. Yes. Sleep well."

… … …

Dib trudged down the street, feeling as though his soul was no longer in his body, but instead back at the lab watching Zim sleep. He didn't know how he got to the alien's darkened house, but soon he was staring up at the colorful little base with its empty windows.

"'You crossed a line…'" he whispered. "Zim, I _did_. I crossed a line."

Suddenly a light flashed on in the living room, the door crashing open and making Dib jump. A small shape dashed out, hurriedly pulling on a green disguise.

"Mary!" the little robot squeaked, bowling into the startled human and knocking them both to the ground. "Mary, my master is goned! Is he _losted_? Do we needs to go to the lost n' found? Is der a lost n' found for missing masters?"

The little robot wasn't being accusatory, but Dib's breath hitched, the ache in his chest and throat unbearable- then he was sobbing there on Zim's lawn, clutching the tiny robot to his chest.

"GIR…" he choked, "GIR, I did something… I made a mistake! I crossed a line, GIR!"

The robot cocked his head. "Is master not coming home soon?"

Dib shook his head, trying to get himself under control. "N-no… GIR, I don't know if Zim is ever coming home."

"Ohhhhh." GIR fell silent, allowing Dib to cry until pale dawn light stained the sky. When at last the light touched them, the human roused himself slowly.

"GIR, I need you to come somewhere with me. We might be able to save Zim yet."

"Okie-dokie!"

Hurrying through the shadowy streets with the robot in tow, the human ran to the lab, swiping his card for entry. Creeping through the deserted hallways, he came quickly to Zim's room, another swipe of his card granting instant access. Then, all too soon, the little alien came into view.

"Master?" GIR squeaked, then cried, "Master!" and ran for the bed. When he collided with the glass he only backed up, throwing himself against it again and again. "Master! Master! Master!"

Shame sweeping through him, Dib slunk to the computers, vividly aware of the beeping heart monitor. Occupied with the charts, he was startled by movement on the metal bed.

Zim's eyes were open, though just as slits; he had spotted the little robot beating at the wall of his prison. Struggling with heartrending weakness, he got one elbow under himself, leaning forward slightly.

"GIR…?"

Trying to shut out his emotions and failing, Dib leaned over the computer and called, as calmly as he could, "GIR, come over here. I need you to take a look at these."

Zim's head snapped up, crimson eyes widening as he found the boy. But GIR complied, trotting dejectedly over to the computer and hopping up beside it. Pulling back his hood, he stared at the screens with flashing blue eyes, recording the information with a rapid series of clicks and whirring noises. All the while Zim, unblinking, watched Dib, who couldn't bring himself to meet the alien's shamed and indignant eyes.

"Got it?" he asked the robot, just before switching to the next set of data. Fidgeting under the subject's now critical, questioning gaze, he rushed to the other computer with his head down, accessing it with a quick swipe of that handy card. There was no information on Zim there, but instead data on the lab itself; after examining it with painstaking care, he turned the machine off once again and returned to GIR's side.

"Master is sick," the little robot said sadly, pointing first at the data and then at Zim; Dib nodded.

"Have you recorded everything?"

GIR nodded; sniffling softly, he rubbed at his eyes. Dib drew back slightly; he hadn't known robots could cry. Bundling the little creature into his arms, he turned to leave, but froze at the voice that sounded behind him.

"What are you doing, Dib-_thing_?"

Swallowing hard, Dib pushed onward, ignoring the Irken's rasping question. For he feared that if he replied, he might not be able to leave.

… … …

Dib didn't return home, instead trotting through the waking city to Zim's base; GIR let them both in, and soon the human found himself gazing around the abandoned house with something like grief.

"This way!" GIR chirped, pointing to the oddly-placed kitchen toilet. Following without complaint, Dib found himself on a rather silly-feeling trip downward, emerging into Zim's futuristic lab. He spared a moment to be astonished, gazing around at the technology that he had seen but only dreamed of using. Sitting hesitantly in what he knew must rightfully be Zim's chair, he tapped the computer screen.

"Identifying user…" the electronic voice announced, and Dib stiffened. "Identifying user…

"User identified as the Dib-Human. User identified as the Dib Human." Said human's heart leaped into his throat, for how could a computer know he was there for benign purposes, much less a computer programed by Zim?

"The intruder has been classified," the computer continued, and Dib braced himself, preparing to leap from the chair if necessary. "The Dib Human…

"… has been granted full access by primary user Zim. Welcome, Dib Human."

Blinking, Dib stared up in blatant shock at the computer. Glancing at GIR, he saw that the little robot looked just as confused as he felt, staring up at the computer with wide, uncomprehending eyes. Swallowing nervously- but convincing himself not to question it further –Dib began to type.

"GIR, come over here," he called after a moment, and the little robot padded up beside him. "Upload the data you got from the computer relating to Zim's current condition."

Nodding, the SIR unit plugged a cable from the computer into his head; after a few seconds, the information came up on the huge screen. Seeing the dismal display so large made Dib's stomach flip, but he kept himself under control.

"Computer, analyze: what is Subject Zim's condition?"

After a heartbeat of whirling colors, the computer replied, "Critical. Starvation of subject is imminent. Subject is suffering from severe hypothermia. Foreign contaminants detected in subject's bloodstream. Unknown object detected in subject's abdominal region. Squeedly spooch functioning at one fourth normal capacity."

Dib shivered, but forced himself to ask the next question. "Computer, project: if Subject Zim were to be kept in consistent conditions for three more days, what would be the outcome?"

"Termination of subject is imminent," came the emotionless reply.

Swallowing, the human had a slight quaver in his voice as he said, "Computer, synthesize a solution of Irken nutrients concentrated enough to revive subject within eight hours."

The computer beeped crossly. "Negative. Task is impossible."

Grinding his teeth, Dib tried again. "Computer, synthesize a solution of Irken nutrients concentrated enough to revive subject temporarily."

The result was the same. "Negative. Subject's recovery is impossible without aggressive, long term action. Injections will be insufficient."

_I just need something to help me get him out of there; something to stabilize him! _Dib thought angrily. _Long term can wait! If I disconnect him from those machines now, the shock to his system will kill him! _"Fine!" he snapped aloud. "I'll do it myself! Computer, access all available files on Irken biology; bookmark those on nutrition."

The next five hours were spent pouring over the information that came up; then he was in Zim's long-forgotten kitchen, used only for GIR's waffles now. Rummaging around, he soon discovered that most of the food was spoiled. Some, however, was packaged for long-term storage during space travel; such packets offered some vague starting point.

The next six hours blended together, spent in Zim's lab synthesizing the injections that would hopefully have the Irken boy's life. It took Dib a while to catch on to how to use the tools and machines to begin with, and after that it was a torturous process of trial and error. At last he removed the latest mixture from the heater, tipping it up so that several drops landed on the computer's sensor pad.

"Computer, analyze," he said in a voice weak with overuse; he had been saying those words for hours. "Hypothesize as follows: 21 micrograms of sample substance are injected into Subject Zim."

The computer seemed just as tired as the human, colors flashing slowly across the screen as it did its work. Then it answered tiredly, "Subject will undergo mild convulsions, and then bodily functions will return to normal levels for the space of ten to fifteen minutes, depending on the levels of activity and stress."

Dib let himself smile, the expression bleeding through his mask of disconnected exhaustion. "Take that… Zim. This earth monkey… just saved your life."

And then he crumpled, content at last to sleep.

… … …

That peaceful rest lasted for only a couple of precious hours before Dib woke, urgency driving him to his feet; he collected the vile of medicine and then grabbed GIR. It was once again dark, so he slunk from Zim's house silent and unnoticed. A short trip to the lab later, he swiped his access card and slipped inside, feeling his stomach twist as he approached Zim's room.

The Irken's condition seemed unchanged. Almost immediately GIR was crying, once again throwing himself uselessly against the glass; this time, however, Zim didn't wake. Running his fingers easily along the seam in the glass, Dib stepped into the torture chamber with a shiver, slinking closer to the metal table. GIR hopped up beside his master, sniffling and pulling back his hood.

"Master? Master?" he asked frantically, placing tiny paws on the boney green shoulder. When Zim still didn't stir, Dib felt his heart skip.

"Zim…?" the human asked breathlessly. "Zim… you idiot, wake up…!"

The Irken didn't respond, the beeping of the heart monitor steady- too steady –in the background. Panic lighting in his belly, Dib ran his eyes over the alien's body. Then his breath caught in horror, eyes riveted to the bloody holes on the Irken's back, his spine just visible where his PAK should have been. Instantly Dib was out of the glass enclosure, staring in dismay at the disabled Irken before his mind sparked, flashing back to life with the aid of sheer adrenaline. Looking around, he spotted it quickly enough, wrapped in clear cellophane and left casually on the highest shelf.

_10 minutes… it has to have been more than 10 minutes. The beeping… too steady… _

_Life support. Fates, Zim is good as… _

Bolting across the room, Dib scrambled up the bookcase to retrieve Zim's personality; his memories; everything the Irken boy was. For an instant he held it- just held it to his chest, feeling its weight. _Zim… this _is_ Zim… _

"Master!"

GIR's squeal made Dib spin, PAK clutched tighter than ever. And there was the small alien, washed-out eyes fixed confusedly on GIR, limbs twitching as he tried to sit up. The human rushed over, slipping back into the glass and skidding to a halt beside the metal table. The Irken winced at the sudden movement, then fixed a bleary stare on Dib. His mouth opened and closed sloppily, as though he were trying to speak, but no words formed.

"Y-you… jerk…!" Dib screamed, his voice bubbling with suppressed tears. He hiccupped roughly, clamping one hand over his mouth as he stared at the empty shell that had once been the mighty Zim.

Moving quickly, he shoved the subject down. It was an easy thing for Dib to pin him to the table- with the aid of the restraints already in place –and then pull out the PAK. _It should just… reattach, _he thought, holding the thing close to the alien's wound. His heart skipped a beat as nothing happened, and he waited… waited…

At last the PAK gave a sleepy grating sound, wires sliding from it and twining around the Irken's spine; Dib let go as it attached, then backed up. Zim had fallen still, though his eyes were still open, and he didn't move for several moments after the PAK was reattached. When he did, he struggled onto his side, curling inward so as to stare up at Dib.

"Recognize me…" the human whispered. "Zim you _jerk_, talk to me…"

"… Stupid Dib-worm…!" Zim rasped, coughing weakly. "What in the Tallest are you… staring at…?"

Dib went weak with relief, but gathered himself quickly, producing the syringe. "I'm going to get you out of here."

"And why would you do that?" the Irken spat feebly, his crimson eyes glowing with hatred.

"Because this is wrong!" Dib snapped. "This isn't how it's supposed to be, and you know it!"

Zim fell silent and allowed the human to take his thin wrist; it may have been acceptance or simply weakness. Slipping the needle into the deep blue vein, Dib took a deep breath before plunging the liquid into the Irken's bloodstream.

Zim's eyes widened sharply, and for an instant his body convulsed, just as the computer had said it would; though he had been expecting it, Dib was undeniably frightened by the display, unconsciously clutching the green hand tighter. Then the Irken fell still, his eyes flashing with surprise. Slowly he sat up; Dib undid the restraints with quick, gentle hands, unhooking the various machines in a similar way. The heart monitor was the last to go, plunging the pair into silence save for their breath.

"Can you walk?" Dib asked.

The alien scoffed. "Of course, foolish worm-baby," he spat, slipping off the table; his legs buckled almost instantly, and he grabbed at the lip of the bed for support, just managing to keep himself upright.

Silently, Dib draped his jacket around the Irken's shoulders, using the movement to disguise the way he took Zim's arm. The Irken chose to ignore the later, neither speaking as they made a slow and difficult trip across the room.

"GIR," Dib called softly, and the little robot skidded up beside him. Almost reluctantly, the human let the alien slide to the ground, making sure he fell with his thin arms around the SIR unit's neck. "GIR, take Zim home. I have to make this look like a break-in. Straight home, GIR, no stopping for tacos."

GIR saluted briefly, then powered up his rockets. Zim stared at the human with curious scarlet eyes, all but begging for an explanation.

Dib, however, chose not to give him one, saying instead, "I'll catch up. I'll be at the base before dawn."

Zim opened his mouth, looking as if he were about to say something; before he could, though, GIR chirped "Okeedokee!" and rocketed away down the hall, leaving Dib staring somewhat sadly after them.

_Ah well, _he thought with a sigh. _I'll just ask him what he was going to say… when I head back to the base. _

… … …

After a rather enjoyable hour or so of smashing windows and lab equipment- setting off the alarm as he left –Dib trotted back to Zim's house, certain that everything was set right. He had put together quite the regimen to get the Irken healthy again. _And after he is, _the human thought happily, _things can go back to the way they were. Just as things should be. _

Perhaps he didn't know Zim as well as he thought he did. But he knew the little alien better than anyone else, so it was more likely that he was ignoring what he already knew.

When he rounded the corner, there was only a gap between the two human dwellings; there was only a deep hole in the ground where Zim's base had once taken up residence. Staring down into the great fissure, Dib felt a similar hole open up inside him, nearly bringing him to his knees with the sudden weakness that the sweeping emptiness brought with it.

For with Zim, the earth boy's whole reason for living- his mission, his motivation, his validation –had returned to the stars.

**(A/N) Please leave a review! I would love to hear your thoughts on this pivotal chapter (went out on a couple of pretty thin limbs…). If you do, I can tell you… what? I can't think of any good incentive. So I'll give you a good ol' fashioned hint of some sort about the next chapter. ^^ **

**On another note, I couldn't get that last sentence to sound as… non-mushy as I intended. P: **


	4. Rooftop Fireworks

**(A/N) LAST CHAPTER! Well, the last legit chapter; there will be an epilogue (still very important to the storyline). I'll save all the sentimentality for then. **

**This is slightly later than expected because of a scene I added at the last minute (the recording). It bumped word count to 3K. :D  
**

**Special thanks to ****Lileipad, xXFemkeXx, and BizarroVeR **for reviewing! Tacos for you all. *throws tacos wildly*  


_**If you don't like ZaDr... **_**what are you doing here? This fic is listed under romance! *peers at you oddly* Anyway, this is your last chance to turn back if you don't like ZaDr. *hangs a "ZaDr Fans Only" sign on this chapter* **

No one could say that Dib fell apart; he didn't, really, nor did the human boy enter any deep depression to speak of. Things continued on as they always had- simply without Zim; simply a bit more ordinary. And though he was vividly aware of the Irken boy's absence, Dib found other things to research; he was bullied and ostracized by his classmates; he argued with Gaz and his father about the viability of paranormal studies. But everything was brought into painful focus whenever he would pull out that flickering lighter, as well as at night, on the occasion that he found himself staring up at the stars.

_What a... romantic notion, _he thought wryly one night, gazing at the winking night sky, unable to fall asleep. _Me... lying here... wondering if you're okay. Wondering if I... if you look at the stars and think of me. _

It was on those nights that Dib missed his playmate and mortal enemy dearly, almost on the level of a physical need. He longed for the stimulation, as well as the validation that Zim had brought to his life; there seemed to be little significance to anything he did since the imminent threat to the earth had gone. And he wondered ideally if the Irken felt similarly.

The overcast day that Agent Darkbooty contacted him, Agent Mothman assumed it was nothing unusual- perhaps a lead on Bigfoot, his current project. But what the Swollen Eyeball member had to tell him was both unexpected and horrifying.

"We've got a downed UFO in your vicinity, Mothman," the older member said, "sporting markings similar to those you claim were... oh, you called them... Irken?"

Instantly Dib was up and out of his chair. "A crash? Are there any life sign readings?"

The shadowy man nodded. "One- very faint. You are the closest and- assuming this is... Irken -have the most experience with such matters. The Swollen Eyeball is counting on you, Agent Mothman. Agent Darkbooty out."

Dib hardly waited for the monitor to turn off before dashing out the door, pulling his cloak from it's hook and blowing past Gaz. Skidding onto the street, he produced the map that had printed from the bottom of Darkbooty's screen.

_That's... where Zim's house used to be...! _

Scuttling down the oddly familiar route, the boy slid to a clumsy halt in the cul-de-sac, starring in blatant shock at the smoking heap of twisted metal jammed between the two buildings, right were that colorful house used to sit. A quick scan showed no life signs.

"No..." Dib whispered, clamoring into the wreckage itself and clawing his way through it, slicing open his hands on broken sheets of metal and sharp corners. "Zim? Zim?"

_No... life readings... Even... if I do find him... _

A flash of movement caught the earthling's eye; whipping around, he shoved aside a chunk of metal to reveal a twisted, broken SIR unit, eyes still flickering.

"GIR...?"

"Th-tha-that's mu-my name!" the little robot chirped, twitching in a useless attempt to rise, grinning brokenly. "H-he-hey! It's M-Mary!"

Gently scooping the tiny unit from the dust, the human cradled him to his chest. "GIR? GIR, this is important. Where's Zim? GIR, where is Zim?" The defective SIR unit pointed with disjointed movements, and Dib's breath caught. "He got out? He's alive?"

GIR smiled shakily. "I-Is Dib and Zim gonna kiss-kiss and make up?"

Dib drew back sharply, startled by the robot's question. "What...? Zim and I...? What?"

The broken SIR unit nodded, seeming pleased. "_Yoooou gonna kiss and make up?" _came a recorded version of his voice.

"_Tch! You speak foolishness!" _Zim's recorded voice said, the sound of it sending a pang through Dib.

"_Master misses Dib..._" GIR said teasingly, then shrieked as Zim presumably made a threatening movement. There was a pause, and then the little robot's voice asked, "_When we goin' back to Earth?"_

_"... Never," _Zim muttered, but his voice held an odd tone.

_"Aw, don't cry, master," _GIR chirped, and the listening human jumped with surprise. _"I'm sure Dib-" _

"_Do not speak of that human!"_ the Irken snapped, his words punctuated by a sudden crash.

_"Master!" _the SIR unit squeaked, then burst out laughing. _"You fell down!" _

Dib winced, remembering just how weak Zim had been the last time he saw him. _"Silence! Do not laugh at Zim! _

_"... Do not laugh like the rest of them..."  
_

The human stiffened, listening in awe GIR made a confused sound on the recording, then asked, _"Why you so saaaaad?" _A muffled sob crackled over the recording, and GIR's voice came again. _"Aw, don't cry, Master. I made waffles! You can have some, if you want." _

The recording ended abruptly, the sound faltering as the robot jerked in Dib's arms, blue eyes flickering as if he were losing consciousness. Gently the human laid him back down with mechanical movements, drawing a piece of metal up to create a protective little cave; the action helped him shove the recording from his mind.

"I'll be right back to collect you," he promised, unsure of exactly why. The robot smiled weakly, the light in his eyes fading until at last they were dark, and GIR lay still. Emotionally disturbed and unsure of why, Dib stood and looked in the indicated direction. It took him a moment to make out any trace of the alien, but then he spotted a splattering of dark blue liquid at the curb. Trotting up to it, it didn't take him long to find another, and another after that.

The trail of blood led up the street, back towards Dib's own house. The earth boy's heart skipped at the implications; Zim only came to him if the situation was dire- like turning into bologna. Picking up the pace, he was soon racing along the road, whispering a word of thanks for the cloudy weather that kept the world deserted.

A sudden crash made him skid to a halt, head whipping up automatically. Chest heaving, he peered up at the roof of his neighbor's house, unsure of what he was looking for. A flash of white caught his eye- a billowing... lab coat.

_They're after him...! _

The thought was so sudden and certain that Dib's whole body acted without his conscious consent, sending him scurrying up the neighbor's house by way of drainpipe and window ledges. He lost his balance once, crashing down into a flower box, but recovered quickly and continued with little regard for scrapes and bruises; he just kept hearing Zim's recorded voice. When at last he hauled himself up and onto the rooftop, the scene stole what little breath was left to him.

There was the Irken, looking exactly the same and different at once, crouched at the edge of the shingled roof. He was bloodied and panting, antenna angled backwards not unlike a cat's ears. And on either side of him was a human, one of whom being the head scientist from the lab; they both stared at the little alien with mad glints in their eyes. The wind caught the unidentified man's coat, blowing it back and briefly revealing a government badge pinned to his chest; the scientist carried a briefcase, open and practically overflowing with a cocktail of flammable, deadly chemicals.

The sudden boom of thunder made two of the four parties on the roof bristle, though the white-coated men seemed untouchable by nature or anything else. Zim's eyes flashed to Dib, acknowledging him but not betraying him; the human boy noted that he had one contact lens in, giving his gaze a strange, quasi-human appearance.

"There's nowhere to run!" the scientist said, advancing one, then two steps.

Zim shrunk back, his foot dislodging a shingle and sending it plummeting to the ground three stories below; it landed with a jarring crash, making the alien cling tighter to the roof.

"Never!" he spat. "Filthy humans, you will not capture _Zim_! It is you who should surrender!"

Dib shuttered. _Zim... is Zim, to the end... _He stood, slowly, careful not to make a sound as he crept closer to the drama playing out.

The two men took twin steps out, hemming the poor alien in even more. Zim glanced briefly over his shoulder, seeming to measure the distance to Dib's roof and deciding that it would _not _be a good plan to jump. So instead he stood, squaring his shoulders and facing the two huge men. The robotic arms in his Pak unfolded, although one was moving jerkily and a second was missing entirely.

"Don't come a step closer, earth-stink!" he spat, coiling his body as a flash of lightning lit up the sky. "Or come on; I'll destroy you both."

_No! _Dib forced his steps to stay quiet as the wind swept around him; forced himself to control his movements. _Zim, buy time! Don't bait them! _

Again the alien met his gaze, and suddenly Dib recognized the emotion there: distrust. And then the human knew: Zim _wouldn't _play for time; he would rather take his own chances.

_If I can just... _The lighter suddenly feeling heavy in his pocket, Dib crept forward. _But Zim... he'll be hit, too... _

"Come 'ere, ET!" the scientist shouted suddenly, lunging forward. Zim got one robotic arm up in time to block the man's advance, but the much larger human simply gripped it with both hands, stopping the tip inches from his chest. The Irken brought up a second slim appendage, aiming for the man's head, but it was caught by the government agent, pulled back and held at bay. Zim looked frantically from one to the other, balancing awkwardly on the remaining, apparently disabled metal limb; with a glance at each other, the humans kicked in unison, snapping it and leaving the Irken suspended between them.

Writhing, Zim tried in vain to wrench his spidery limbs free; the men only smiled sickly, seeming amused by his struggles. The scientist had a syringe in one hand, and advanced with it held out menacingly. The wind whipped across the roof suddenly, and the alien winced visibly at its sting. Watching, Dib reached into his pocket, his body feeling heavy and mechanical.

_What choice do I have...? _

"Zim!" Screaming to be heard over the rushing wind, he surged forward. "In 3!" The Irken tensed. "2!" Understanding brightened his eyes when he saw the lighter. "1!"

Dib's final wail was in a tremendous crash of thunder, which in turn was all but drowned by the explosion. The human felt himself thrown backwards, the force akin to being hit square in the chest by an oncoming car; he felt his ribs crack as more than air was forced out of his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the scientist simply dissolve in a mass of noxious smoke; the government man was no longer visible.

Then came the second impact: the roof. Dib felt blood burst from his stretched jaws as his body convulsed; for a terrifying moment, he was sure that the fall had broken his spine. But lying there gasping raggedly, he felt all his fingers and toes check in one by one; breathing a rough sigh of relief, he struggled up into a sitting position.

In the wake of the explosion, the roof was empty.

"Zim!" The wail escaped him before he could stop it, and he searched desperately in the gloom for any sign of the alien. At first he saw only shadow and dust; his heart leaped, pounding so loudly in his ears that he couldn't even hear the wind over the roar of his own blood.

Then he saw it: the hand. Instantly he was there, but stopped just short of looking over the edge, gazing instead at that hand; that hand, with its exactly three digits, so thin and frail, so familiar in shape and yet so undeniably foreign, barely twitching as it fought to keep its grip on the crumbling Earth exposed beneath shattered shingles. That hand… that fragile, desperate hand, indisputably inhuman in every way. It slipped; scrambled; clawed in feeble panic at the Earth slipping through its fingers; those three, delicate fingers.

Heart thumping unsteadily, Dib reached out… drew back. His lips framed the alien's name, silently… and he watched the Earth begin to fall away. Through the clamor of his own heart, he heard it: the soft gasping… the soft wheezing. Shaking his head, the human reached out... tensed, his fingers coiling and then releasing… poised… but undecided. Again his lips formed the familiar syllable, this time giving it a tiny breath of sound.

"… Zim…"

And then, pulling the alien over the edge, he saw those eyes. One was violet and familiar, the other magenta and foreign… though they both held a frantic sort of gratitude that seemed the most precious thing in the world.

"Took you long enough, little worm-monkey," he spat, in a voice that almost escaped trembling. But his whole body was shaking, and he seemed so incredibly vulnerable that Dib acted without thinking, moving forward first to punch the Irken squarely in the forehead, then to embrace him before he could fall backwards and over the edge once again.

"You inhuman moron," he whispered. "You think you're entitled to a rescue?"

Zim stiffened, wriggling at first, weakly, and then letting himself relax against the other's chest. "Yes," he said, his tone inappropriately listless. "I am, after all, to be ruler of all you foolish humans."

Dib smirked, suddenly content with his decision. "I won't let you, you know. I'll devote my life to stopping your reign of terror."

The alien laughed softly, one of his hands drifting up to rest itself around the human's neck. "You'd spend your life saving this putrid world from my feared rule?"

"Yes. I'll bet you couldn't even conquer _me_."

Zim paused, thinking. Then, lips curling into a sly grin, he said, "I wouldn't even try. You would be too much trouble to rule over, eartheniod freak."

"But Master," Dib objected mockingly, "I would be a good little human slave. I'd carry your umbrella when it rains."

The Irken laughed again, louder this time. "And then you'd pull it away as soon as my guard dropped."

The human chuckled, too. "Old habits die hard. Haven't you heard that human phrase, Zim?"

"No," the little alien sighed, the last of the tension draining from him, leaving him limp against the other's body. "But then what is this? Why has the Dib-human suddenly forsaken his hostility toward this great Irken invader?"

And that forced the Dib-human to ask himself the same question- the question he was unable to answer. So he replied with another.

"You… tell me, Zim. When did I change?"

"Oh, I can't make sense of your idiotic human behavior," the alien said dismissively, his arm moving slowly to the back of Dib's head, pressing the human's face into his neck. The boy's breath warmed his abused body delightfully, sending pleasant shivers down his spine.

"So you aren't so all-knowing," Dib said, seeming satisfied.

"Shut up," growled the Irken, but there was a light tone to it. "Or I'll have to shut you up."

"And how would you do that?" the human asked, amused at the thought of the weakened alien trying to shut him up, certain it could not happen.

And then Zim's lips were pressed to his, the alien's oddly cold mouth hungry and soft against his. The human obediently parted his lips, unable to gather himself quick enough to do anything else, feeling the Irken's scaly tongue slide over his. Before he knew what had happened, Dib let his eyes slide shut; he felt himself pushed to the ground, felt himself held down by those thin, strong hands.

Suddenly his eyes flew wide as his mind caught up with the course of events. With an abrupt heave he thrust the alien off of him, rolling so that Zim was caught under him.

"What was _that_?" he demanded, his anger only flaring up at further when the alien beneath him chuckled, then burst out laughing beneath him. "Zim! What the hell was that?"

Eyes glinting, the small Irken pushed upwards, startling the human and flipping their positions once again. This time Dib wasn't so easily subdued, and the pair tussled and tossed for more than a few moments until at last they settled, the alien content to stare down at the human.

"Ha."

"…"

Zim kissed his self-proclaimed human slave again, briefly; Dib almost gave in, but wrenched his face away, glaring up at the alien sideways.

"Inhuman little… jerk!"

The Irken grinned triumphantly, laughing softly. "You are Zim's now!" he crowed. Yet this time there was warmth in his eyes, not only joy in the conquest. "Yes, from this day forward, the human called Dib is mine!"

And then he swooned suddenly, his hand finding Dib's and lacing their fingers as he slumped against the human's chest, the last of his energy expended in their play.

**(A/N) Well... that was enjoyable. I had a lot of fun with this chapter. Hard to keep in-character, though. _Hard_. *brain short circuits* **

**Only the epilogue left now, guys. Please review! I'll send you a hint!**

**PS I have another (ZaDr) fic in the works. :3 Details at the end of the epilogue!  
**


	5. Epilogue (Eternal Struggle)

**(A/N) And so ends my first IZ fic. :') Thank you so much to everyone who's read and reviewed, or subbed, or faved. Truly. I'm glad I could write this for you all. **

**Shout out to those who reviewed the last chapter: TwoCute, DemonGann, and Lileipad! Words fail me. *bows deeply***

**Happy (late) Halloween by the way, everyone. You can blame this most splendid of holidays for the one-day lateness of this installment. **

**I think... I'm getting better with GIR. x3 **

**If you enjoyed "Crossing the Line," there's a preview of my next fic (titled "Defective") at the very end of this chapter, so read all the way down! I hope to see some of you there. :3 **

**I do not own Invader Zim. I just borrowed it from the great Jhonen *bows*.  
**

Zim woke slowly as his PAK rebooted, as if returning to the world of the living from some place far beyond. For an instant, he swore it had been a dream; that he was still on his ship, fleeing from Dib and all the rest like the defective he was. Or perhaps that had been a dream, too, and he was on that cold metal table, waiting for the pain, determined not to give the humans any satisfaction and plotting Dib's torturous death... though all the while he knew that _he _would be the one to die. But perhaps that had been a part of the dream as well, and Dib would be waiting outside to heckle on their way to Skool, where Mrs. Bitters would make the day a dim, dreary hell that only Dib's presence could brighten.

Or maybe it was all a dream, and he had never come to Earth at all.

"Good morning, Zim."

Though the voice was certainly devilish, there was a distinct note of fondness there. It was so close to his ear that the Irken bolted up in something like terror, his eyes flying wide. He blinked, vision swimming with sudden dizziness as he made out the shadowy walls of Dib's room; his hands clutched unconsciously at the blankets before he noticed them, and he looked down to find himself in Dib's bed.

"Comfy, you freeloader?"

The Irken curled his lip. "It is... satisfactory. Better than a metal table, Dib-worm."

Dib actually winced, and an unexpected pang of guilt hit Zim. The human looked down, seeming less than willing to meet the other's gaze.

"I'm not going to apologize, if that's what you're waiting for," the boy muttered, his glasses gleaming so as to hide his eyes. "We've spent so long trying to catch each other, I won't apologize for finally winning."

"You did not win," the Irken scoffed, raising his chin. "In fact, this whole thing was part of my ingenious plan to win your trust!"

Dib laughed, softly. "You still don't have it, you jerk."

"Pity," the alien sighed. "B-But it's still my victory; I didn't actually _want _your trust, I just wanted to... infiltrate your base! Which I have! Ha!"

The human rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well _I _think this is quite the victory for earth."

"How so, human?" Zim sneered, seeming quite self-assured.

Dib grinned evilly. "Now I know your weakness."

The Irken flushed a deep shade of blue, his eyes narrowed. "Z-Zim _has _no weaknesses, Dib-_thing_!"

"'Has no weaknesses,' hmm?" Dib's smile stretched unnaturally as he leaned forward. "Sorry, I didn't realize you had no weaknesses, Zim. My mistake." The Irken boy drew back in a sudden panic, but soon found himself backed against the headboard, and the human was still getting closer... and closer... and...

"I made _biscuits_!"

The shriek made both human and alien jump, spinning to see the little robot standing in the doorway with a tray of... cookies. Dib sighed tiredly, and Zim starred in blatant confusion.

"He... was broken...!"

"I fixed him," Dib replied simply, shrugging. Instantly GIR was clinging to his head as if magnetized. "I'm starting to regret it."

"Your head _stiiiiill _smells like a puppy!" the SIR unit announced happily, nuzzling into the human's hair.

Zim chuckled, then burst out into maniacal laughter; Dib's eyes narrowed, though he was still trying in vain to twist his head around to see the robot plastered to the back of his skull. Giving his head a furious shake, he sent the defective unit sailing across the room to slam into Zim, where the robot promptly attaching himself to the alien's face.

"Eh...?" For an instant, Zim was confused. Then, "GIR! _Release _meeee!"

Then it was Dib who was laughing as the Irken pulled at the robot, succeeding only in stretching his own face in a truly comical way. When at last GIR was flung across the room with a gleeful "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!" they were both breathless with laughter, the human still grinning helplessly.

"Evil minions these days...!" Zim spat.

"The state of world conquest these days, hmm?" Dib asked indulgently, then pulled an innocent face when the alien glared at him. "What?"

"You'll pay for that, earthanoid."

"Oh?"

"The world will fall to _Zim_!" the Irken declared, leaping up and striking a pose on the bed. A combination of lingering weakness and the unstable mattress unbalanced him, however, and he went crashing back down in an undignified heap of pillows and blankets and alien invader.

"Not if _I..._" Dib began, but stalled to suppress his laughter,"have anything... t-to say about it!"

Zim glared furiously, still tangled in the blankets, but a smile was tugging at his mouth. It vanished, however, when the human came forward and seized the blankets, tying an artful knot around the alien's thin wrists.

"Ha! Victory for Earth!" Dib cried between giggles, leaning over and holding down the struggling Irken invader easily, their faces no more than two inches apart. Zim narrowed his eyes.

"You play dirty, earth-stink."

"Perhaps," the human said with a smirk, but was startled when his mortal enemy leaned up and planted a soft kiss on his lips. In the wake of his shock, the Irken unbalanced the two of them, flipping the human onto his back and twisting free of his improvised shackles.

"Ha! Victory! Victory for _Zim_!" he cried, though there was a powder-blue tint to his cheeks that mirrored the dusting of pink on the human's. "GIR!"

"Sir!" The robot landed in front of him, covered from head to metallic toe in... flour? Disregarding that, the Irken struck a pose.

"To the base, GIR!"

"Yes, sir!"

"You won't get away!" Dib cried, pouncing on the alien's back and sending them both skidding over the carpet, knocking poor GIR over on the way down. But Zim squirmed away, managing to wriggle out from beneath the human and jump onto GIR's back.

"If you dare, come after me, Dib-thing!" he called, sticking out his segmented tongue. "You know where I'll be!"

Dib's heart soared, the last weight on it lifting suddenly. "You're not...?"

"I'll take over this filthy stink-planet!" the alien declared. "For I am _Zim_! And you, the Dib-thing, must try to stop me if you so dare!"

The human laughed, his eyes narrowing. "Oh, I'll stop you, alright! I'll be there at every turn! You won't ever get rid of me!"

"Likewise," the Irken smirked, and then he was gone, taking off down the hallway. Suddenly a memory surfaced, and Dib lurched after him.

"Zim! Hey, Zim! What were you going to say, before? In the lab?"

"'I'll be waiting!'" the alien boy called, his voice drifting back down the hall. "I'm taking over this filthy world, and so the Dib had better be there to make it worthwhile!"

And Dib felt himself smile- an honest smile, without a scrap of sadism or even sarcasm.

"Count on it, Zim! You... alien menace!"

THE END

**(A/N) I hope you enjoyed Crossing the Line; I hope the ending lived up to expectations; thanks you all again, and Please leave a review on your way out! It would make my day. :) **

**Also, as promised, here's a sneak peek at my next multi-chapter fic, "Defective." **

_Defective _

**Summary:**Begging for the human's life may have been a mistake; an Irken PAK is a strange gift, the personality stored in it parasitic. So while Zim's human might be alive, he isn't defective; he isn't Dib. Meanwhile, a leaderless rebellion within the great Irken Empire is brewing; a rising up of those forgotten outcasts, the only beings in the galaxy the Brains truly fear. ZaDr

**Lots of action, some romance, etc., etc. The Tallest are featured as well as some other rather under-appreciated characters... and of course some obligatory yet unpredictable plot twists. Interested? Curious? Go on, leave a review for CtL's epilogue (please?) and then click the "Follow Author" button below. EDIT- "DEFECTIVE" IS OUT NOW! :D****  
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